One form of packaging, which while convenient for display and containment of merchandise, is exceptionally difficult to open. This packaging is referred to as blister packaging or as a “blister package.” With such blister packaging, two layers of plastic material (typically at least partially clear, and formed of polymeric hydrocarbon material, such as polyethylene) make up the package. These two layers are generally parallel to each other and come together at an edge where they terminate together. Heat, sonic welding, adhesive or other coupling secures the two layers together at this edge. Within limited interior portions of the blister package, the layers diverge to be spaced from each other to form a void in a shape which typically generally matches that of merchandise or other items packaged within the blister package. Typically, the two layers are only bonded together at the edge.
While some forms of bonding are relatively low strength, and can be easily opened by a user manually, most commonly these layers are exceedingly strongly secured together. While such strong securement of the layers is beneficial from a security standpoint, and to keep contents of the blister package from being damaged, lost or tampered with, such as within a store or other retail location; this strong bonding of the two layers together presents a serious challenge to one who wishes to open the blister package. For instance, after purchasing the merchandise contained within the package and taking the merchandise home, the purchaser then needs to somehow remove this secure packaging to utilize the merchandise.
Prior art systems for opening such packages are known, but have been less than satisfactory. Scissors can sometimes be utilized. However, the strength of the plastic material and its overall thickness make the user of scissors largely ineffective. When rather high strength scissors, approaching the strength of tin snips or other shears, are utilized, some effectiveness can be achieved, but the overall process is cumbersome and still requires a rather large amount of force to bring the jaws of the scissors together. When such high forces are being manually applied to the scissors, a great propensity exists to have the package open quickly and unexpectedly, and then have hands of a user move rapidly past the freshly cut edges of the packaging, creating the significant possibility of cutting hands of the user with the edges of the packaging, or the scissors. Also, such high force opening tools pose a risk of damaging the merchandise.
A razor blade can be utilized for cutting the blister package. Razor blades have a tendency to cut more than the packaging, including doing damage to an underlying surface. Also, razor blades are exceptionally sharp and pose a risk to the user and to the merchandise within the packaging. As with scissors, rather high forces are still required to utilize a razor blade to cut the layers of the blister package, again increasing the possibility that the package might open abruptly and cause the user to be cut either by a freshly cut edge of the package or by the razor blade itself.
In some instances the basic concept of scissors or a razor blade have been modified with specialty handles or other specialty housings to increase the effectiveness of a general scissors-like or razor blade-like cutter for opening of a blister package. While such attempts have generally improved upon the use of standard scissors or razor blades, the forces are still applied at a sufficiently high level and with sufficiently abrupt action, that difficulties are still encountered when utilizing such known prior art devices.
Accordingly, a need exists for a cutter suitable for cutting blister package layers for opening of a blister package which cuts through thin strong plastic or other thin materials easily and in a highly controlled fashion, for most effective opening of the blister package or cutting similar thin layered structures. Such a system could be powered or manually operated to suit the particular desires of the user.